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Instability in Iraq

Tribal Clashes in Wasit Kill Eight

  • The clashes, which began over a rift for agricultural land, injured another nine, as Iraq continues struggling with post-war feuds between Bedouin groups (Arab News)

U.S. Arms Sales to Iraq

  • The U.S. State Department approved a possible $100 million sale of the Country Wide Repeater System, which provides high-speed network access and aims to boost command-and-control capabilities, as the U.S. military continues to shift security operations to the Iraqi government (Anadolu Agency)

Iraq’s Election Results

  • Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s political group won eight out of eighteen districts in Tuesday’s parliamentary election, topping opponents but not securing enough seats to govern without a coalition; since al-Sudani took power, he has focused on balancing Iraq’s foreign policy interests between the United States and Iran (WaPo)

Iraqi Elections

  • Initial tallies from Iraq’s parliamentary elections on Tuesday suggest that the coalition of incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has emerged victorious, per the country’s Independent High Electoral Commission, boosting his prospects for a second term; the commission reported turnout at 56.11 percent, as parties now turn to coalition negotiations (Reuters)
  • Voters generally chose lawmakers across sectarian lines, with Sudani competing against Iranian-backed militias and Sunni and Kurdish parties; the results are expected to shape Baghdad’s effort to recalibrate its security partnership with Washington while balancing Iranian influence (Jerusalem Post)
  • International observers, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, praised the fair and orderly conduct of the elections (Anadolu Agency)

Explosion at Popular Mobilization Forces Base

  • The blast killed three militia fighters and wounded several others at a weapons-storage site in Baghdad; officials suggested that leftover material from the self-proclaimed Islamic State triggered the explosion (New Arab)

Iraq Claims Energy Independence

  • Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an end to all petroleum imports after new refinery projects lifted domestic supply above national demand; Sudani claimed that the excess in supply, along with broader domestic energy shifts over the past three years, have made Iraq a self-sufficient producer (Reuters)
  • The move comes even as Iraq still faces chronic power shortages (The National)
  • Meanwhile, state firm Somo canceled crude oil imports from Russian oil firm Lukoil, citing concerns from sanctions imposed by the United States and United Kingdom (Reuters)
  • Finally, the U.S. military mission in Iraq confirmed the Iraqi Security Forces’ ability to independently execute combat strike operations, a crucial development that allows the Iraqi government to assume greater control over domestic security missions (CENTCOM)

Iraq Links Disarming Militias to U.S. Troop Withdrawal

  • Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said armed factions, including the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, can only be brought under state control once the U.S.-led coalition fully leaves Iraq, adding that an agreed phased withdrawal will conclude by late 2026 because the self-proclaimed Islamic State has been defeated (Reuters)

Small U.S. Advisory Force to Remain in Iraq

  • Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said 250–350 U.S. advisers will remain at Ain al-Asad Air Base to coordinate operations against the self-proclaimed Islamic State with forces in Syria, citing renewed instability following the fall of Bashar al-Assad (AP)
  • The announcement follows a recent declaration from the Pentagon affirming a drawdown of U.S. forces (AP)

Gunmen Attack Sunni Parliamentary Candidate

  • Armed assailants targeted the office of candidate Muthanna al-Azzawi in Yusufiyah, injuring two of his bodyguards; the attack follows a car bombing that killed another Sunni candidate days earlier, accelerating fears about political violence ahead of Iraq’s November parliamentary elections (Al Arabiya)

Sunni Candidate Assassinated Ahead of November Elections

  • Safaa al-Mashhadani, a parliamentary candidate from the Sunni-led Sovereignty Alliance, was targeted in a car bombing, marking the most high-profile political assassination in Iraq in recent years; the explosion, which wounded four others, occurred in the Tarmiyah district, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordering an investigation into the attack (Jerusalem Post)

Iraq to End Iranian Gas Imports by 2028

  • The move is part of a broader plan to diversify the Iraqi economy, as Baghdad signs multibillion-dollar deals with TotalEnergies and firms from China and the UAE while also courting U.S. and Gulf investment; Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani pledged to reach “zero gas flaring” and curb chronic power shortages (CNBC)

Iraq Carries Out Amnesty Law

  • Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council announced that more than 35,000 prisoners have been released under a new amnesty law aimed at easing overcrowding, with nearly 144,000 others eligible for similar benefits; courts also recovered $34.4 million from corruption and theft cases, though the law’s inclusion of some terrorism-related offenses has sparked criticism (AP)

Reduction in U.S. Military Mission in Iraq

  • The Pentagon confirmed it has begun pulling forces from Iraq under a 2024 agreement with Baghdad, citing success against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS); troop levels will drop below two thousand, with most coalition forces consolidating in the Kurdish city of Erbil as the focus of counter-IS operations shifts to Syria (The Hill)

Iraq to Resume Kurdish Oil Exports

  • Baghdad said it will restart oil shipments from the Kurdish region to Turkey’s Ceyhan port, ending a two-year freeze after a recent revenue-sharing deal with Erbil and international oil companies; the pact, backed by the United States, sets exports at about 240,000 barrels per day and seeks to stabilize ties between Iraq’s central and Kurdish governments (AP)

Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government Agree to Resume Oil Exports

  • The two governments reached a preliminary deal with oil firms to restart 230,000 barrels per day of crude exports through Turkey after an eighteen-month suspension, pending approval from the Iraqi cabinet and oil producers active in Kurdish regions (Reuters)

U.S. Blocks Iraq-Turkmenistan Gas Deal Routed Through Iran

  • Washington refused to approve Baghdad’s plan to import Turkmenistan gas via Iran over sanctions concerns, leaving Iraq scrambling to meet peak summer demand amid blackouts; Baghdad is now exploring Qatari LNG imports and the acceleration of projects with TotalEnergies, BP, and Chevron (Reuters)

State Department Designates Four Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias as Terrorist Groups

  • The United States designated Harakat al-Nujaba, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, Kataib al-Imam Ali, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada as Foreign Terrorist Organizations; all four are part of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (Reuters)

Iraq to Prosecute French Islamic State Suspects After Transfer From Syria

  • Iraqi officials said the Syrian Democratic Forces handed over forty-seven French citizens accused of Islamic State membership; the suspects will face terrorism charges in Iraq (AP)

Researcher Released in Iraq

  • Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov was released after more than two years in captivity by Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, Trump announced; Tsurkov’s sister said she had been in Iraq conducting research for her Princeton doctoral dissertation and thanked the Trump administration for its work toward her release (Guardian)

Heatwave, Rising Electricity Demand Causes Power Outages Across Iraq

  • Although electricity was restored by today, the heatwave is expected to last more than a week, with temperatures surpassing 120°F; two provinces in the country are currently hosting millions of extra visitors as part of a religious pilgrimage (France24)

Police, PMF Clash in Baghdad

  • After members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a Shia state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella with some factions closely tied to Tehran, charged into the Ministry of Agriculture building during the appointment of a new director, police arrived and exchanged gunfire with the paramilitaries; at least one police officer and one fighter were killed, nine police officers and six fighters were wounded, and fourteen were detained in the fighting (Al Jazeera)
  • The PMF said it “does not want to escalate” (Al Jazeera)

Drone Attacks Continue to Target Oilfields in Iraqi Kurdistan

  • In Tawke, northern Iraq, a drone attack targeted Norwegian oil and gas firm DNO for the second time this week; Iraqi Kurdistan security forces suspect the attack was launched by Iran-backed militias, and no casualties were reported (Reuters)

Drone Strikes Target Oil Fields Across Iraqi Kurdistan

  • Numerous oil fields in Tawke, Peshkabour, and Ain Sifni, within the Zakho administration of Duhok province, have been forced to shut down following drone strikes by unidentified perpetrators; Gulf Keystone Petroleum, the Norwegian oil and gas firm DNO, U.S.-based Hunt Oil, and most APIKUR member companies have all suspended production (Reuters)
  • Energy officials estimate that the drone attacks this week reduced oil output in the Kurdistan region by between 140,000 and 150,000 barrels per day, but no casualties were reported (Reuters)

Drone Strike Sets Fire to Oil Field Operated by U.S.-Based Company

  • In the Sarang field in Dohuk province, an attack targeted an oil field operated by HKN Energy Ltd. on the same day the company signed an agreement with Iraq to open another oil field at a different location; no casualties were reported (AP)

Two Drones Target Khurmala Oilfield in Iraqi Kurdistan

  • Near the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, two drones struck the Khurmala oilfield, causing material damage to the oilfield’s water pipes; the perpetrators were not identified (Reuters)